2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the National Park Service (NPS) are proposing to renew an information collection with revisions.

The NCUA Board (Board) is seeking comment on a proposed rule that would amend its regulations regarding fidelity bonds under Part 704 for corporate credit unions and under Part 713 for natural person credit unions. The proposed rule would accomplish four objectives. First, it would strengthen a board of directors' oversight of a credit union's fidelity bond coverage. Second, it would ensure that there is an adequate period to discover and file fidelity bond claims following a credit union's liquidation. Third, it would codify a 2017 NCUA Office of General Counsel legal opinion that permits a natural person credit union's fidelity bond to include coverage for certain credit union service organizations (CUSOs). Fourth, it would clarify the documents subject to Board approval and require that all bond forms receive Board approval every ten years.

The Board and the Bureau are publishing final rules amending the official interpretations and commentary for the agencies' regulations that implement the Truth in Lending Act (TILA). The Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) amended TILA by requiring that the dollar threshold for exempt consumer credit transactions be adjusted annually by the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). If there is no annual percentage increase in the CPI-W, the Board and the Bureau will not adjust this exemption threshold from the prior year. However, in years following a year in which the exemption threshold was not adjusted, the threshold is calculated by applying the annual percentage change in the CPI-W to the dollar amount that would have resulted, after rounding, if the decreases and any subsequent increases in the CPI-W had been taken into account. Based on the annual percentage increase in the CPI-W as of June 1, 2018, the exemption threshold will increase from $55,800 to $57,200 effective January 1, 2019. Because the Dodd-Frank Act also requires similar adjustments in the Consumer Leasing Act's threshold for exempt consumer leases, the Board and the Bureau are making similar amendments to each of their respective regulations implementing the Consumer Leasing Act elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all Airbus SAS Model A330-200 Freighter series airplanes, Model A330-200 and -300 series airplanes, and Model A340-200 and -300 series airplanes. This AD was prompted by defects found during production tests of ram air turbine (RAT) units; investigation revealed that the defects were due to certain RAT hydraulic pumps having an alternative manufacturing process of the pump pistons. This AD requires replacing any defective RAT hydraulic pump with a serviceable part and re- identifying the RAT module part number. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Dassault Aviation Model FAN JET FALCON, and FAN JET FALCON SERIES C, D, E, F, and G airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations and maintenance requirements are necessary. This proposed AD would require revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive airworthiness limitations and maintenance requirements. We are proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

In this Policy Statement, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) states its policy regarding the treatment of Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes for both accounting and ratemaking purposes as to Commission-jurisdictional public utilities, natural gas pipelines and oil pipelines, in light of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In addition, the Commission addresses the accounting and ratemaking treatment of Accumulated Deferred Income Taxes following the sale or retirement of an asset.

We are adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Zodiac Aero Evacuation Systems (also known as Air Cruisers Company) fusible plugs installed on emergency evacuation equipment for various transport category airplanes. This AD was prompted by reports indicating that affected fusible plugs activated (vented gas) below the rated temperature. This AD requires an inspection of the fusible plugs to determine the part number and lot number, and replacement of all affected fusible plugs. We are issuing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products.

This major final rule addresses changes to the Medicare physician fee schedule (PFS) and other Medicare Part B payment policies to ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services, as well as changes in the statute. This final rule also finalizes policies included in the interim final rule with comment period in ``Medicare Program; CY 2018 Updates to the Quality Payment Program; and Quality Payment Program: Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstance Policy for the Transition Year'' that address the extreme and uncontrollable circumstances MIPS eligible clinicians faced as a result of widespread catastrophic events affecting a region or locale in CY 2017, such as Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria. In addition, this final rule addresses a subset of the changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) proposed in the August 2018 proposed rule ``Medicare Program; Medicare Shared Savings Program; Accountable Care OrganizationsPathways to Success''. This final rule also addresses certain other revisions designed to update program policies under the Shared Savings Program. The interim final rule implements amendments made by the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to the Medicare telehealth provisions in the Social Security Act and regarding permissible telehealth originating sites for purposes of treatment of a substance use disorder or a co-occurring mental health disorder for telehealth services furnished on or after July 1, 2019 to an individual with a substance use disorder diagnosis.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is publishing this notice to announce that the following Federal Advisory Committee meeting of the Board of Visitors, National Defense University will take place.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a 60- day public comment period associated with the release of two draft toxicity assessments for public comment: Draft Human Health Toxicity Values for Hexafluoropropylene Oxide (HFPO) Dimer Acid and its Ammonium Salt (GenX Chemicals). Draft Human Health Toxicity Values for Perfluorobutane Sulfonic Acid (PFBS) and Related Compound Potassium Perfluorobutane Sulfonate. The EPA developed the draft assessments to provide the health effects information available for GenX chemicals and PFBS and describe how that information was used to derive draft toxicity values. These draft toxicity assessments underwent independent, external expert peer review in June-July 2018. Following closure of this 60-day public comment period, the EPA will consider the comments, revise the draft documents, and consider the need for additional peer review, as appropriate, and then publish final toxicity assessments. The toxicity assessments for GenX chemicals and PFBS are scientific and technical reports that include toxicity values associated with potential noncancer health effects following oral exposure (in this case, oral reference doses [RfDs]). These assessments evaluate human health hazards. The toxicity assessments and the values contained within are not risk assessments as they do not include exposure assessments or provide a risk characterization. Further, the toxicity assessments do not address the legal, political, social, economic, or technical considerations involved in risk management. When issued, the toxicity assessments can be used by the EPA, states, tribes, and local communities, along with specific exposure and other relevant information, to determine, under the appropriate regulations and statutes, if and when it is necessary to take action to address potential risk associated with human exposures to these per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals.

Under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), this notice sets forth the announcement of a public meeting of the Consumer Advisory Board (CAB or Board) of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau). The notice also describes the functions of the Board.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as lead agency, with the Township of Fruitport, County of Muskegon, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (Tribe), Federal Highway Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), serving as cooperating agencies, intends to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA in connection with the Tribe's application for transfer into trust by the United States of approximately 60 acres for gaming and other purposes to be located the Township of Fruitport, Muskegon County, Michigan. This notice also announces that the DEIS is now available for public review and that a public hearing will be held to receive comments on the DEIS.

NMFS is prohibiting retention of Pacific cod by catcher/ processors using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary because the 2018 Pacific cod apportionment for catcher/processors using trawl gear in the Central Regulatory Area of the GOA has been reached.